Signal GK Online Char-Gen

[Blue Ghost]

What happened to Signal GK? And more specifically, what happened to the online character generator that used to be there? Can anyone recommend another site with online char-gen software?

 

[Easterner9504]

Gone, unless someone can find it via the Wayback Machine. It was allegedly saved there but I couldn't find it.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Thanks Easterner. It's one thing to roll up your own character, but it's work to roll up NPCs. Oh well.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Well, I found the pages, but I didn't find the char-gen package.

https://web.archive.org/web/20110707140226/http://www.signalgk.com/

 

[Baron]

It's fun to roll up your own character, but why would you roll up NPCs? As the GM, just start writing. Their details don't need to be randomized with dice.

 

[robject]

It's fun to roll up your own character, but why would you roll up NPCs? As the GM, just start writing. Their details don't need to be randomized with dice.

Huh, you've injected some sanity into this discussion. I admit the first thing I started thinking was "how long would it take for me to finish MY character generation script?"

 

[aramis]

It's fun to roll up your own character, but why would you roll up NPCs? As the GM, just start writing. Their details don't need to be randomized with dice.

Randomizing your NPC's has several benefits.
1) Diversity
2) inspiration
3) conformity

in more detail -

diversity: those who simply write tend to use the same stats for every X. They might have 2 or 3 shopkeepers, but those stats get reused ad nauseum. This is of little consequence with shopkeepers, but of quite a lot of use for police - whose stats matter a lot more. Diversity means they can't calculate the odds as easily, and makes for more interesting play.

Inspiration: often, the dice produce results a GM wouldn't on their own. (It's the fundamental purpose for dice in roleplaying, so it's not inappropriate to use them.) From the police officer with End 2 and Str 12 to the Scientist with Int 3, it's a springboard for "WTF is his deal?"

Conformity - GM's often forget some of the subtle nuances of CT/MT characters - using the full up CGen, especially with automation, is more likely to result in characters with the requisite skills.

 

[Vargas]

One of the quasi-hidden benefits of Traveller char gen is the unexpected skills you acquire along the way. They make for great plot points and help define the character is ways you might not ordinarily think of.

 

[Shonner]

My sim generates NPCs that are transients found at startports. Permanent residence NPCs will get the pick of the litter for that world.

 

[Easterner9504]

Well, I found the pages, but I didn't find the char-gen package.

https://web.archive.org/web/20110707140226/http://www.signalgk.com/

Using your link I recovered it, but it doesn't work. The page was saved but not the coding.

 

[grondak]

Here is an earlier capture from the Wayback machine of the form page
https://web.archive.org/web/20050403112010/http://www.signalgk.com/cgi-bin/ctcg.pl

Judging from this URL and the presentation of the Wayback machine, the generator is a CGI script written in perl and stored on the server. The Wayback machine can't actually get the scripts, just the output of the scripts.

When one accesses the form page, the script presents a simple form (captured as HTML/CSS/Images by the Wayback machine) for generator parameters.

When you submit that form, the browser waits for the generator to do your work and then references the #output anchor from that page. Any capture from the Wayback machine of that page would just be the result of one character generator run. The Wayback machine has no captured results.

 

[Blue Ghost]

I used the address on the Wayback snapshot to email the owner(s).

I don't mind generating or even just creating one from my head, but it's just time consuming when I'd rather be writing for the adventure itself.

Now, back to playing.

Like my friends at Imperssions and Tilted Mill say, "Have fun. Play games"